The Manning Award, created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl to honor the college football accomplishments of the Manning family, is the only quarterback award that also includes bowl performances in its balloting.

Noticeably absent from the 31-player watch list is South Carolina's Stephen Garcia, who's thrown for 6,753 yards and 43 touchdowns during his career. Garcia, reinstated to the team earlier this month following his fifth suspension, passed for 3,059 yards last season. Another 3,000-yard season as a senior would place him solidly among the top 10 passers all-time in SEC history in terms of passing yardage.

Players can be added to the Manning Award watch list as the season progresses. The list of 10 finalists will be announced in November.